What does accomplished mean?
"Accomplished" is an adjective used to describe someone who has attained a high level of skill or proficiency in a particular field, usually through sustained training and practice. An accomplished violinist, writer, or engineer is one whose ability is widely recognized and polished rather than merely competent. The word can also describe things: a task that has been brought to successful completion may be called accomplished, and the idiom "an accomplished fact" refers to something already done and therefore impossible to reverse. Derived from the verb "accomplish," which traces back through Old French to the Latin root complere, meaning "to fill up or complete," the word carries connotations of fulfillment and mastery. It is generally formal to neutral in register and almost always complimentary, making it a staple of recommendations, biographies, and reviews where genuine expertise deserves recognition.
adjectiveHighly skilled or proficient in a particular activity through training and practice; also used to describe something successfully completed or achieved.
- (of a person) highly skilled or proficient in a particular activity, typically as a result of training and practice.
- (of a task or goal) successfully completed or achieved; realized.
- Established beyond dispute; an accomplished fact is something that has already happened and cannot be undone.
"She is an accomplished pianist who has performed with orchestras across Europe."
"He is an accomplished surgeon with over twenty years of experience."
"The merger became an accomplished fact before the board could vote on it."
When Jane Austen called a woman "accomplished," she meant far more than talented — it implied mastery of music, drawing, dancing, and languages all at once.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accomplished
"Accomplished" derives from the verb "accomplish," which entered English from Old French "acompliss-", itself rooted in the Latin "complere," meaning "to fill up or complete." The Latin root combines "com-" (together) with "plere" (to fill), the same source that gives English words such as "complete," "complement," and "comply." The adjective sense — describing a person of high attainment — became well established by the eighteenth century, notably in genteel discourse about education and social polish.
Related word forms
How accomplished is actually used
"Accomplished" carries a positive, admiring connotation and is most often applied to people in artistic, intellectual, or professional fields. The phrase "an accomplished fact" is somewhat formal and idiomatic, describing something already done and irreversible.
Easily confused with accomplished
"Accomplished" is an adjective describing a skilled person or completed thing, while "accomplishment" is the noun meaning an achievement or the act of achieving.